Purdy Point Snorkeling

The 5th most popular snorkel dive spot in Western Australia.

Sunday 31 July 2016 06:46 GMT

North of Perth and southwest of Coral Bay, the snorkeling at Purdy Point is known for amazing coral bombies and colorful staghorn coral. The Purdy Point snorkeling dive site is within the boundaries of the Ningaloo Marine Park.

The Purdy Point snorkeling dive site is located at the end of Coral Bay Road. After reaching the car park, walk about 500m south to just past the big red rock. The best Purdy Point snorkeling is located about 600 feet to 1,500 feet offshore where you will find a large area of dense coral heads and diverse marine life. The water depth is around 6 feet deep. The water is usually pretty calm with good water clarity. Keep in mind that there is boat traffic within the channel markers and there is a good current usually running to the north.

The Ningaloo Reef is a 260km long fringing reef located 1,200km north of Perth. The Ningaloo Marine Park is part of the Ningaloo Coast Wold Heritage Area. In addition, the reefs are breeding grounds for green sea turtles, hawksbill turtles and loggerhead turtles. You may encounter reef sharks and manta rays as well. Ningaloo Reef is home to several species of sharks from blacktipped and whitetipped reef sharks up to great white sharks. There are shark attacks every year, though most encounters are by surfers and spear-fishermen. There is the occasional reef shark bite though in the shallow inshore lagoons. This reef is known to be occasionally frequented by the venomous Irukandji jellyfish and also the larger box jellyfish, so make sure to check with dive shops prior to heading out.